In this digital age, where “customer centricity” is king and “real-time data” queen, you cannot afford to keep allowing historical data to dictate your decisions. It’s time to let data do the dirty work for you and get your brain cracking on scenarios and – ultimately – your strategy!

The old world is dead. Digitalization is everywhere. And companies have to strike out on their own digital path. For industrial companies, this means embracing industry 4.0. But before diving into this new adventure, there are two lessons from the 3.0 era you mustn’t forget.

Anticipation and not leaning back are key if you want to be as successful at forecasting as Wayne Gretzky was at ice hockey. But as a dynamic forecaster in a world full of big data, you will need demand sensing to read the game and, subsequently, demand shaping to steer it.

“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.” For forecasters, the ultimate dream is to be able to read the game like ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky did. With big, dynamic data entering the arena, that uncanny ability – or “gift” if you like – to read the demand game comes within reach. Find out how.

Supply chains have become far more fragmented and globally dispersed. As a supply chain manager, you’re being challenged by more impatient customers, shorter product lifecycles, and more products with greater variety and customization. This “New Normal” requires a new approach to supply chain planning and execution based on visibility, collaboration and real-time execution. The customer-centric pull-based Demand-Driven Material Requirements Planning methodology fits in very well as part of this solution.

During our largely attended #bluecruxtalk ‘From Headset to Mindset’ on Wednesday 20 September, Christophe de Valroger from Bridgestone and Peter Tillon from Miele shared their experience from recent customer service transformations. We relay their messages in 3 take-aways.

Your products move through a vast network of manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers before they reach the customer. You’re well aware that an issue at one of the nodes in your supply chain might disrupt the entire chain. Could blockchain – THE buzzword in recent months – be your solution?

Whereas a few years ago product quality or differentiation allowed supply chain managers to concentrate on cost reduction and increased efficiency within supply chain operations, that just doesn’t cut it anymore. Customers no longer expect a product, but a solution embedded in an experience. Or – to put it bluntly – they don’t want a dish, they want a delightful dinner experience that makes them want to come back. Read on to find out about the two key ingredients you mustn’t forget.

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